Machines and Voicemails
by scribbled.ink
Summary: "When Wally met Dick, he was a broken machine. Dick was short and tiny, and his personality didn't make up for that. He was quiet, but smart, and only spoke it if it deemed logical. Always calculating, analyzing, suspecting everything there was. He didn't act like other nine year olds, and Wally knew that. No, Dick was different. Dick was... broken." One shot, Post-Endgame.


Wally was gone.

Gone.

He was dead, and he wasn't coming back.

Was it possible for that to even happen? To Wally?

No... it had to be a joke. Like, like when they were kids.

But they _weren't_ kids. Not anymore.

Wally was in college, he was going to propose, get married, have a family. That was what he wanted. That was why he left.

* * *

_Age: 17_

_"Dick, I'm serious about this. Artemis- I love her, I do, and I don't to lose her. I just want to feel safe. I want her to feel safe."_

_"Wally... what about the team? The league?" What about us?_

_"They've done just fine with Uncle Barry, and the team'll be fine."_

_"If something came up, would you come back? Or would you really stay away?" Would you come back if I asked?_

_"There are plenty of archers and speedsters that can replace me and Art." _

_"Okay... okay. If this is what you want." Stay. Stay, please Wally. Don't go._

_"Dick, thanks for being supportive." I'm not. _

_"Yeah... yeah, anytime." Stop it, stop it! Don't leave me! Please! Please, Wally! _

_"Dick, will you be alright? Without me?" No._

_"Of course! I'll be fine."_

_"Are you... are you sure?" No, no I'm not sure. _

_"Yeah, totally. I understand, Walls." God, I'm so selfish. _

_"Alright, man. See you soon? " I can't let you go._

_"Yeah, sure!" But I have too._

* * *

When Wally met Dick, he was a broken machine.

Although nine years old, he was about as tall as a snail.

Dick was short and tiny, too, and his personality didn't make up for that.

He was quiet and smart, and only spoke it if it deemed logical. Always calculating, analyzing, suspecting everything there was.

He didn't act like other nine year olds, and Wally knew that. No, Dick was different, and, thankfully, Wally knew why.

It wasn't hard to put the pieces together.

Dick was, simply put, broken.

* * *

_Age: 9_

_"You don't talk a lot when other people around besides me and you."_

_"Yup."_

_"Like right now! We were having a blast, man! Playing video games and eating goldfish-even your butler makes them taste amazing- and then your dad comes home with some other people from work, and boom- your super quiet."_

_"Uhm... okay?"_

_"You never show off around other people, too!"_

_"There's no need." They can't see me._

_"Are you... are you scared?"_

_"No." Yes._

_"Why?"_

_"I'm not scared!" They can't see me._

_"You act really shy too."_

_"I'm just a quiet person, Wally." I can't exist._

_"No you aren't, not at heart, at least."_

_"Wally, lay off." They can't see me. It's all my fault. _

_"Why don't you like people seeing you?"_

_"Wally-" It's all my fault, all of it! It's all mine!_

_"How come you don't let people get to know you, like me?"_

_All. My. Fault. "Because they can't! Okay, Wally? They can't!"_

_"What'd you mean-"_

_"If they see me, if anyone sees me mess up, or say something wrong, or make a mistake- they'll know!" Wally, it's all my fault._

_"Know what?" I can't tell you. _

_"...It's all my fault." _

_"What is?" No, you can't know. Stop asking me._

_"Everything." Please Wally, don't hate me. _

_"...Oh, Dickie."_

* * *

Honestly, it took forever just to get Dick to admit that he was human.

He was human, and humans make mistakes.

Like it was doomsday, Dick would freak out if even the slightest thing went wrong.

Half the time, Wally wanted to throw his arms up and quit.

But he didn't.

Because this was Dick.

And Dick needed Wally, more than he needed anyone else.

Wally made Dick feel human, and Dick longed to feel that way.

* * *

_Age: 11_

_"Oh crap. Oh freaking crap B is going to kill me."_

_"Dick, calm down."_

_"He's going to get so mad." This is bad._

_"Dick-"_

_"He's going to disown me! He's- he's going to throw me out on the streets!" This is so, so bad. _

_"Dick, it's only a little-"_

_"It's all my fault! I screwed up and it's all my fault!" I'm sorry._

_"Dick, listen!"_

_"Wally, I- I did this! I messed up! I- I-" I'm a failure._

_"Dick, listen to me!"_

_"Wally-"_

_"No, Dick, listen. What happened? It was not your fault."_

_"But-"_

_"It was an accident, a mistake! Mistakes happen."_

_"Not like that." Wally, please just, just tell me it's okay._

_"It's okay, Dick. It's alright, everyone's alright, and you're fine. __You're going to be okay, and Bruce isn't going to think any less of you."_

_"But what about everyone else?" What about you?_

_"I promise you, I don't think anything less of what you've become."_

_"I said-"_

_"I know what you said, and I know what you meant." Thank you._

* * *

Soon enough, though, all that work paid off.

Dick was okay, and Wally was there.

Just like everything was perfect, Wally was always- _always- _there.

Things tumbled, and Dick fell, but somehow, Wally was there.

Dick was young, impressionable, and Wally was constantly by his side, helping him.

* * *

_Age: 16_

_"Jason..."_

_"I know, Dickie. I know."_

_"He-he's gone." Oh God, Jason's dead._

_"It's okay, though. It's going to be okay."_

_"He's dead... Jason's actually dead. Dead, Wally! He's he's-"_

_"Shh, I know."_

_"He's gone." He's actually gone._

_"I know."_

_"I could've saved him. I could've stopped this from-" The pain. It hurts._

_"But you couldn't, Dick. It was physically impossible to stop this from happening You aren't to blame."_

_"But I-"_

_"Dick, you are not responsible from his death." _

_"He was my brother, my-my baby brother. He's dead." Please Wally, please stop the pain._

_"I know, Dick."_

_"I miss him." I miss him so bad, Wally. Make it stop._

_"I know, Dick, I know."_

* * *

But, things change.

Wally grew up.

He spent more time with his girlfriend.

Dick had to _schedule_ hang outs. Because Wally was in college now.

Wally was in college and he didn't have time for stupid things like video games with Dick.

He started staying home with Artemis, and didn't meet up with the team very often, anymore.

Slowly, the number of texts sent to and from Dick and Wally dwindled,

Until they subsided altogether.

Wally left- he left all of it. The team, the league, the hero gig, Dick...

Wally was gone.

Wally was gone, and Dick started to crack again.

It was little by little at first,

Before the storm came and swept away everything they had worked on.

* * *

_Age: 18_

_"Wally?"_

_"Hey, Dick. I'm kind of busy."_

_"I know. I called, like, seventeen times before you picked up." Please, Wally._

_"Yeah... I have this project and-"_

_"No, no I totally get it." Please. Help me._

_"We could meet up later, if..."_

_"No, that's fine. I just wanted to, uh, well, you're busy, so..." I'm so alone._

_"So what? Are you okay?" No._

_"Yeah, I just, uhm- nevermind. You're busy." I need you._

_"What's going on?" _

_"Nothing." Please, Wally. Come back. _

_"Alright, then... if you say so. I've got this project to get back to, so-"_

_"Yeah, yeah. I understand." Please don't go. Please don't go, Wally._

_"Okay. Later, dude." No, stop it. Stop it, Wally! Don't go, please! _

_"Bye." No, no, no don't hang up! Please don't hand up!_

_He hung up._

* * *

His insides hurt when he inhaled, and his sides cringed when he breathed. His face was stiff from crying and his head felt like it was going to burst.

Dick had made a mistake, a big mistake, and the team hated him for it.

Hell, even the league hated him.

What he had done, faking Artemis' death and Kaldur's betrayal, lying to his friends- it was unforgivable.

Yeah, he saved the world, but- but, that didn't matter.

There were a thousand plans he could've put in action, and he managed to mess up the only one he chose.

He made a mistake.

He made a mistake, and he needed Wally.

But the thing was-

Wally hated him too.

* * *

_Age: 18_

_"Dick, you promised me she wouldn't get hurt!"_

_"We don't know her state yet; she could still be perfectly fine!"_

_"But you don't know that!"_

_"She's Artemis, Wally! She can handle herself!"_

_"She's Artemis, and I love her. We left to keep ourselves safe, and you chose to bring her back! Now, she's in danger, because of you."_

_"Artemis chose this, Wally. Not me."_

_"But you could've taken her place."_

_"I-I know."_

_"Then why didn't you?"_

_"I-"_

_"Why didn't you!?"_

_"Because, Wally! I can't! I can't mess up again! I can't-"_

_"Oh, grow up, Dick! You were nine, your parents died- you had a reason! It's been ten years, grow some and man up! Stop acting like a failure, stop acting like you need me there! Stop acting like a stupid little insecure orphan again!"_

_"...Wally, please, stop."_

_"It should've been you- not her!"_

_"Wally, please."_

_"No, Dick! Look around you, the mountain's destroyed, three of your team's kidnapped, Kaldur's comatose and Artemis could be dying- all. Because. Of You."_

_"Wally, please, stop it. Stop saying that."_

_"It should've been you." _

* * *

Now, Wally's dead.

And Dick was alone.

Everyone hated him-

And he was alone.

He just really needed Wally now.

But- but he wasn't. Wally died.

Wally died hating Dick.

Wally died, _hating,_ him. Was he, was he really to blame?

Was it all his fault?

The mountain?

The team?

Their trust?

Everything was just so messed up now.

So where Wally?

Where was Wally when Dick needed him most?

Dead.

* * *

_Age: 19_

_"Wally? It's Dick. Things are hard. I keep- I keep messing up. I got fired from the police force and I'm too stubborn to go ask Bruce for help. I left the team, kind of went solo. It hasn't been working out, though. Bludhaven's a mess, the team's a mess, Artemis and Barry and Bart are mess. I'm a freaking disaster... Please just pick up. I need you."_

_"Hey, it's been a while since I called. Uhm, I just wanted to say, that, I... I miss you. Artemis invited me over, 'cause, you know, it'd be your twenty second birthday today. But, uhm, I didn't go. I just really miss you. Please answer me."_

_"Wally? I'm freaking out. I- I don't know why. There's just, there's so much crap going on inside my head and I just really need you here right now. I can't concentrate and I don't think and I can do this anymore. Please, I know you can't, but please, just this once, pick up your phone. I'm tired of leaving messages, I'm tired of hearing your voice mail and right now I'm certainly tired of being alone. I get it- you're dead. But, please, Wally. Please. Just this once, answer me. I'm alone and I need you! Okay? I need you really, really badly, and I'm so freaking scared! Just- just, God, Wally! Answer me! Stop being dead and just pick up your damn phone!"_

_"Wally? It's me, obviously. Look, I'm sorry about not calling for a while. I, uh, I just wanted to call and let you know, that... that I'm sorry... I know I've been nothing but trouble, but you put up with that. You kept me going. So, so thanks. I'm sorry for being obnoxious, and I don't know if trying to persuade you not to leave the team all those years ago would've changed anything... But if it did, I'm sorry. Even- even if there is some way you can here this up in Heaven, or where ever you are, I want you to know how sorry I am for letting you die. I miss you."_

* * *

Wally never answered his voice mail.

Why would he?

He was dead.

But, that was okay.

Through the pain, Dick would get up each day.

He would eat and exercise, and he would check in on his brothers and on Bruce.

He would go outside, and he would do what he had too.

He would deal with the pain, all of it.

He would live life like he should, and try to forget Wally.

But still-

That didn't mean it wouldn't hurt like Hell.

* * *

**I don't know where this came from. ****On Easter, of all days, even. ****I just had something in mind and I needed to write it to get off my writer's block. So, here's a short little one shot.**

** Also, t****he ages mentioned in each little 'flashback' are Dick's, by the way; sorry if that was confusing. **

**And, along those lines, this wasn't intended to be Birdflash/Nightflash, but if you squint I guess you could make it a onesided DickxWally story. (Or two sided- whatever floats your boat.) **

**Thanks for reading, and review please! :)**


End file.
